“My thing is to prove to underprivileged kids that they can be whatever they want to be in life and they don’t have to end up where they started,” Edwards told me ahead of his 2019 fight. against Rafael Dos Anjos. “That’s how I want to impact the world. I started from nothing and I want to prove to kids who are in the same position I was in when I was a kid that you can come from nothing and still be on top of the world and be whatever you want to be in life. The journey doesn’t have to end where you started. You don’t have to follow in the footsteps of your parents or family; you can change your family’s future and be what you want to be in life if you work hard at it.
Edwards worked harder than most, but sometimes the hard work in the gym and Octagon didn’t translate to the success he wanted. He doesn’t talk trash, he doesn’t post on social media more than spending time on his craft, and he doesn’t jump cage-side with kicks or throw spinning motions on fight night. . He is an honest man and an honest fighter. I think we call guys like that “professionals”. Some would consider this an insult; others wear it as a badge of honor.
All UFC 278: Fight results and post-fight interviews | Scorecards | Bonuses
“At one point it bothered me,” Edwards told me about not getting the recognition he deserved. “But now I’m confident in my journey, and maybe it wasn’t my journey. This is the path I’m on, this is the path I chose for myself, that’s what I do, and I don’t feel the need to do what people want me to do. As long as they pay me my check, that’s all that matters. I’m here to create wealth for my family and changing my family’s future and that’s it Whether you love me or hate me is none of my business I’m focused on competing I’m focused on doing ‘m being one of the best in the world and I’m focused on getting paid, and that’s it.
And, like in any sport, if you keep winning long enough, you can’t be ignored. So, from the moment of his loss to Usman, Edwards has been winning, fight after fight after fight. On Saturday he got his chance, but aside from a strong first round, it looked like the long road to the title was going to end in Salt Lake City, Utah, a place Edwards didn’t even know before signing. contract. to fight there.
